This invention relates to macromolecular polymer structures and methods for their preparation. It also concerns compositions containing these macroreticular products and in particular highly absorptive resins and plastisols.
Blotter-type resins are known. They are generally prepared by forming large particles of a synthetic polymeric resin and exploding the particles by suddenly reducing pressure within the system. This results in a sponge-like structure wherein the interstices are fairly continuous and the solid matrix is hard and horny, much like coral. This type of resin is able to soak up liquids such as plasticizers, hence its popular term a "blotter resin."
It is among the objects of this invention to provide novel cofused resin structures which are especially adapted to use instead of blotter resins because they have the ability to absorb and hold large quantities of plasticizers and other liquids. A further object is to provide plastisols and similar compositions, with or without pigmentation, which are in the form of apparently dry, free-flowing granules, but which contain trapped within the interstices of the reticulated structure the plasticizer necessary to convert them to plastisols upon the application of stress or shear. Additional objects are to devise methods for making and using these new types of cofused resins.